SPOKANE, Wash.- Despite an incredible shooting display in the first half, the Pacific University men's basketball team fell to No. 18 Whitworth 88-72 as the Northwest Conference leaders walked away with their fourth-straight victory.
The Boxers (5-10, 1-5 NWC) enjoyed a very good shooting night overall, finishing just under 50% on the night. Pacific made 10 of their 24 three-point attempts, but struggled on the glass as they lost the rebounding battle 25-36.
Whitworth (13-2, 6-1 NWC) showed why they were the conference's top team as they prevailed despite an excellent shooting display from the Boxers. The hosts were even more efficient than Pacific, posting a field-goal percentage of 56.1%. The Pirates had four different players finish in double figures and three players finish with nine points. Jake Holtz and JT McDermott led the way with 15 points apiece.
Jared Cattell (Senior/Bremerton, WA) had a fantastic game in his return to the lineup, leading the Boxers offensively with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. The senior made four three-pointers, matching his season high.
Jacob Bolger (Junior/Portland, OR) was very efficient as he tallied 17 points while going 8-of-12 from the floor. The forward also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Also reaching double-digits was
Mario Mora (Senior/Bend, OR) hitting four shots from beyond the arc on his way to 16 points on the night.
Point guard
Lucas Winkler (Freshman/Portland, OR) had a good all-around performance with nine points, five boards, and four assists with just one turnover.
How It Happened
The Boxers had a strong opening to the game, jumping out to a 20-8 lead behind six early points from Bolger. Mora, Cattell, and Winkler would each knock down a three-ball as Pacific extended their lead to 12 points at the 11-minute mark. Whitworth would commit four turnovers in the first nine minutes, a testament to the Boxers' pressure on the defensive end. Pacific's six offensive rebounds at this point would lead to six second-chance points.
The hosts would respond with an 12-2 run to cut the lead to just three points.
Antoine Stitt (Senior/San Leandro, CA) finally ended the scoring drought by hitting a tough fade-away jumper. Mora drained two more shots from beyond the arc before Stitt made a triple of his own as the Boxers started to find their shooting stroke.
Cattell started to catch fire towards the end of the half when he scored 11 consecutive points, hitting three shots from downtown followed by a contested jumper in the paint. He finished the first half with 14 points to his name. The Boxers would finish the half 20-36 (55.6%) from the floor and 9-17 (53%) from three-point range. Despite this incredible shooting display, Pacific only held a four-point lead (50-46) going into the break.
Two Boxer starters also found themselves in early foul trouble as Bolger and Winkler each picked up their third foul before the halftime whistle.
Whitworth quickly tied the score early in the second half and forced a timeout from Pacific. The issues would begin to compound for the Boxers when Bolger and
Trevon Ridley (Freshman/Murrieta, CA) found themselves with four fouls with over 15 minutes to play.
Without Pacific's forwards on the court, the hosts were able to put together an 8-0 run to take the lead. Winkler finally got the Boxers back on track by scoring on back-to-back possessions.
The two teams would trade baskets and the Pirates would maintain their healthy lead for the majority of the second half. Just as Pacific saw a way back into the contest, Ridley would pick up his fifth foul, sending him to the bench.
The Boxers were unable to recover and nationally-ranked Whitworth would cruise to their fourth-straight win.
By The Numbers
- Pacific has not won in Spokane since 2017.
- Both teams had double-digit leads in the contest.
- Whitworth scored 40 points in the paint.
Up Next
Pacific will play their third game of the week when they head to Tacoma, Wash. to face Puget Sound on Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on
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